UPDATE: Mastiffs, monkeys and foxes have been confirmed as new tameable hunter pets. Hopefully there will be vanity pet versions, as well!

Cataclysm is now in closed beta testing. Since the non-disclosure agreement has already been lifted, there are dozens of new models to check out at MMO-Champion! Which of these many colorful and exotic creatures will become new vanity pets is still a mystery, though we can guess (and dream!):

If Blizzard finally works out the kinks for water-specific companions (remember the Baby Shark from WotLK beta that never panned out?), that would open the door to many more potential pets, such as Sea Serpents, Sea Horses and Sting Rays.

Finally, very close to my bird-loving heart are the Sea Gull, Raven and ...gasp... BUSH CHICKEN!! Oh please let it be so... *faints*

One of our members was kind enough to donate some extra TCG loot our way, including the adorable Hippogryph Hatchling. So we thought we'd have some fun and give it away through Twitter!

The contest will consist of two questions provided by our loot donor. Since no one but her (and us) know the correct answers, the chances of winning are largely random. But if you know your vanity pets, you'll have a slight edge.

To Enter:
To enter the contest, simply follow us on Twitter (@WarcraftPets) and watch our Twitter feed this Tuesday (July 20th).

Q2 - The second question will be asked around 2:00 PM EST (11:00 AM PST). The first person to answer correctly wins the grand prize—a Hippogryph Hatchling!

To be eligible for a prize, be sure to use the hashtag #WPContest in your response, and also your WarcraftPets username. Finally, we're accepting only one reply per question. If you forget your WarcraftPets username or the hashtag, you may resubmit your reply but you may not change your answer.

Yesterday afternoon I had the honor of joining The Warcraft Syndicate's 33rd podcast with Gillrisper and Stacalm. I had a lot of fun with these guys — let me tell you, they really know how to put on a show!

After 12 long years, Starcraft II is finally here! EU players are already enjoying the sequel and tomorrow it'll be available in the US. As a longtime fan of the original Starcraft, I'm totally stoked! In addition to being psyched to tear it up as Terran, Protoss and Zerg, there's another reason for us pet collectors to be excited...

NEW Pet! Those of you lucky enough to get your hands on the Starcraft II Collector's Edition will also be able to enjoy the new Mini Thor pet. Attaining this pet also unlocks a new related achievement, Collector's Edition: Mini Thor!

Mini Thor is keyed to a player's Battle.net account, just like the various WoW collector's editions. This means players must install the actual collector's edition in order to receive the pet. So be sure to get your copy!